


Hard of Hearing

by CrypticWonder, Orecon



Series: The Death of the White Masks [2]
Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: 3 main badasses, Action, Ash and Zofia hate each other, Collaboration, Cool rhyme if you say it right, Ends up a drama, Glaz is a great sniper, Gridlock helped too, Intense firefights, Shootouts, Smoke is a driver, The white mask attack, Unique pairing, part love story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-06-25 21:02:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19753762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticWonder/pseuds/CrypticWonder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orecon/pseuds/Orecon
Summary: Chapter 1-2The most dangerous mission. Many civilian lives already lost. The highest stakes. A 3-man team.What could possibly go wrong?Everything.Chapter 3-4A long battle leaves many scars behind on the team. A tough choice is to be made. A partially deaf soldier fights for his past back.





	1. The Chase

**Author's Note:**

> Its so hard to put tags haha. Tried to make it as interesting as possible. I hope y'all like it. This is one of the first stories I've tried to write on AO3 with multiple chapters after deleting the other one.

The base wasn't far, but if they were to lose their headgear, they would be dead within seconds. It didn't matter how much they were exposed, they would be dead before they could return to base. It was a simple three-man operation with some of the highest stakes. The White Masks have never been a more dangerous threat. After Bartlett, despite many operations, they could not prevent this one. They had attacked a place unknown to them. They had fought on towers and houses. They had never fought on a city street. They detected a device based on previous operations that could stop it. Many have been killed by the gas. It was much deadlier than Smoke's and had spread across an entire street. It was too risky to bring a lot of operators and they didn't have much time so Smoke, Glaz and Doc went in. Doc had modified his stims into the special suits they were wearing in such a way that a simple pull of a lever would inject the wearer with one of the two stims in the suit. Smoke had prepared the suit to be impenetrable from any gas no matter how toxic and dangerous. Glaz had incorporated an improved thermal scope inside their masks so they can see in the gas with a marker for teammates. They prepared for a threat unlike any other. 

Six wasn't there, so their teammates gave them as much equipment and prototypes as possible to help them. Jäger put a small Magpie capable of destroying one grenade on each of their equipment bags. Ash, Fuze, Kapkan and Zofia equipped the trio's guns with powerful explosive rounds. Thatcher had placed an emp in their bags as well to deactivate any kind of grenade they encounter but can only be used twice per member. And lastly, Gridlock and Frost gave them lethal traps to use to cover their backs. If any others They were ready to face death. They were ready to fight for the greater good, which meant having to stare down the most vile of evils. They set off. 

There was a single truck in the middle of the road, presumably the only thing thag could stop it. And it was surrounded by roughly three dozen soldiers. They didn't have time to count. They moved in. Glaz eliminated as many snipers as he could find with his silenced marksman rifle. He shot them so that they would not fall into the street and alert their allies. They moved closer to the truck when they took cover behind a car before they could be spotted. Advancing to the truck, they stopped merely 50 meters away from it when they saw them moving it into a nearby car. Damn. They were moving it to spread it elsewhere. They had to chase it. They immediately went inside the car they were in and found the owner dead. Rather middle-aged, African American female. It appeared to be someone they knew. It was Six. Six was the target. 

"Holy fuck, guys I found someone," Smoke radioed his team. "I found why Six wasn't here. She was only on her way here."

This elicited silence over the radio. The team responded in grief. The trio heard murmurs and a few tears. They had to continue the mission before more people became part of the body count. They prepared for a firefight. They placed down Six's body into the street and shut her eyes. They knew that starting the car would alert them, and started it anyways. They began to drive as fast as they could, trying to get to the car and reverse the effects as fast as they could. Smoke was in the front seat driving while Glaz and Doc were in the back seats defending the car. Gunshots rang out and there were bullets flying everywhere. They reached the behind of the truck and they just needed to find a way to open it. Bullets came at them from all sides and Doc was hit in the right arm. The gas touched his open wound and area and caused unbearable pain. Doc immediately used his stim to heal himself and immediately nullify the effects of the gas. It appeared to be more dangerous than many other gasses from his observations. Contact with skin appears to cause irritation and major pain and possibly scarring. He would have to have Rook check him later if he survives. Smoke opened his door and used his gun to blow open the door. He struggled with his gun and aimed carefully at the back of the truck. He fired.

"Nice shot Smoke!" Glaz said. The back was blown wide open and a corpse fell out. Glaz sat up after laying on top of Doc and took aim from his door and fired at the back wheels. The truck started slowing down and Glaz began climbing the car. He stood on the hood and prepared to leap onto the truck. It was only then that he realized that his team's comms were out and that they couldn't hear anything.


	2. The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No communication. A brutal fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I attempted to put action but I'm super tired. I did my best and put more effort than ever before. Enjoy :)

Their communications were cut off. They had to fight as best as they could without any support. Glaz leaped into the back of the truck and fought the remaining Masks in close quarters combat. He dodged a knife and took it out of his attacker's hands and pushed it into their throat before throwing them off. He elbowed another and took out his pistol to shoot the one he had just grappled and another one who came at him. He ducked a punch and landed a blow on his attacker to the abdomen, allowing for an easy neck snap and cover. Holding onto the terrorist, he pushed forward as his cover was repeatedly shot and made one swift move to eliminate all the remaining Masks inside with accurate headshots. He moved to the container and looked around. He saw a sign signalling how to stop and contain the gas. He turned on the device and began to figure out how to disable it step by step. 

The gas was still spreading from the container so he rushed to disable it. Meanwhile, Smoke was evading other cars while Doc held them back with his gun. He already used one of his explosive rounds to eliminate two cars and a few motorcycle riders. He had already used four magazines to take out a bunch of riders and drivers. He was running out of ammunition. He had to think fast and saw the model of the guns the Masks were using. MP5 SMGs. It was his lucky day. Or at least for the time being. He immediately opened his door and signaled to Smoke to hit the brakes. Once he did, he took one of the riders from their vehicles and took his gun before dragging his mask and then once it was destroyed, face across the pavement. He got a magazine and threw the gun away. He did the same for a few more Masks while simultaneously using them as human shields. He had gotten half a dozen more magazines and proceeded to use his original set before beginning to shoot and aim even more precisely. Smoke was trying to keep a steady speed limit in order to not go too fast while staying right behind the truck. He was being bumped and shot at from so many sides that he began to pray that Glaz was almost done with disabling the gas and eliminating it from the city. 

Glaz was very nearly done when he almost fell out of the truck. The fate of the city was at stake and he almost died because of a road bump. The final step in the procedure was to shoot the device with a special gun that he almost couldn't find. He ended up seeing it on the side of the driver's door. "Chertovski chertovski! Got to be fucking with me harder than last night!" He began to climb the side of the truck, and when his allies saw him they moved to protect him from gunfire and riders. Glaz began to shimmy along to the left, praying he wouldn't be noticed. He got close enough to grab it but was immediately noticed by the driver, who pulled out his pistol and started firing out the window. He began to hurry into the back, and almost fell multiple times. A shot pierced his side and burned his skin. He groaned in pain and got into the back and used the stim in the suit before shooting the device. It began to short circuit it and eventually stopped releasing gas. A few seconds of silence followed before a large sound blasted throughout the entire street that even Smoke and Doc heard it from inside the car. The gas began to follow the truck and started to go into the device, containing itself within it. 

The gas was gone. The Masks were mad. A getaway was required. Death was coming at them. Glaz immediately shot through the walls, killing the driver and the passenger. He ran out and was immediately met by gunfire. Once he recovered from a grenade that blew up, he ran to a nearby building and crashed through a window, taking cover. He took cover and began spraying bullets from his cover. He threw a frag grenade that despite not being able to see anything, some Masks were killed in the explosion. Meanwhile, Smoke stopped the car and got Doc to leave the car with him. Spotting three dead bodies, they began to make a break for Glaz's location and jumped in. "What took you two so long?" Glaz questioned them. "Doc and I had to make a pit stop first," Smoke said while shooting blindly at the Masks. A bullet penetrated the wall and Smoke got shot in the left shoulder. The bullet lodged itself into his skin and began to fill his blood with poison. He groaned in pain and struggled to reach his stim trigger as the poison began to slowly deactivate his body. 

Glaz saw this and immediately darted towards his teammate. He immediately pushed the trigger. He checked the heartbeat counter on his suit and saw that it was very weak, but he was still alive. Smoke was unconscious. He checked a rather far mirror and saw that the enemies were approaching their location. He immediately got up and fired on them, killing each one with a well placed headshot. He was immediately shot in the upper thigh. He yelled in pain and fell to the floor. He clutched his injury and Doc fired outside. He thought for sure that the three were dead. He began to hear static. Suddenly Ash's voice came in. "Gustave? James? Glaz? Respond bitches cause we're close to your location. These fucking Masks are one hell of a nuisance, and I've got the whole fucking team with me." 

"Copy."

Ash was relieved to hear Doc's voice. She worried for their safety once their comms got cut off so she decided to gather the whole team to enact a rescue operation. They gathered as many powerful prototypes as possible and lead them to the trio. 

A grenade entered the room when they stopped talking. Doc immediately used his Magpie prototype and destroyed the frag a split second before it blew them all the way to hell. He heard gunfire, but there weren't any bullets flying in their direction. He checked and saw the entire Rainbow team coming at the Masks. There were bodies and limbs flying everywhere. It was all over. Once they had cleared the street of Masks, they found many others in buildings. They were easily dealt with using the powerful explosive charge prototypes. 

"Get me a doctor right now! We got a bleeding Brit, a fucked up French and a roughed up Russian," Doc heard Jäger order the coming first aid responders. Smoke was wheeled out to the nearest major hospital to be treated for his wounds. Glaz meanwhile has been silent the whole time. Doc snapped his fingers a few inches behind Glaz's head. He went in front of his Russian comrade and saw the problem. A piece of shrapnel entered his head and blocked all noise from entering his left ear. He couldn't hear anything. He had suddenly become deaf. A few moments later the Russian collapsed.

Six months after the attack, Glaz was still recovering. His hearing improved but it still wasn't as good as it used to be. It took a toll on him as it prevented him from going into missions. Doc had been able to recover, although Smoke was still in a coma. They were debating pulling life support. Most of the team were against it although Zofia and Nøkk had begun to only consider it in order to spare him the pain. Doc had been looking for any new surgery for Glaz in order to help him. Glaz was hard of hearing, but he understood that the Masks were on the brink of death after their latest failure.


	3. Rest, Days and the Plug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A choice is made. A love is certified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked on this while buying a car lol. Enjoy.

Hard of Hearing Part III  
Rest, Days and the Plug

Glaz had undergone operations previously for bullet wounds, but never for anything so serious. He missed the way Monika would call him. In the firing range, he no longer needed headphones. Outside, he had to listen to music at maximum volume. In the base he had to wear hearing aids. He still didn't have the worst of it. Smoke's condition was improving, but not by much. The poison was affecting him even after Doc's extensive treatments. Doc's team had been attempting to analyze the poison in an attempt to reverse the effects and successfully nurse Smoke back to health. The poison was unlike anything they had ever seen before, which meant that the Masks had begun to divert attention from drugs and gangs and terrorism to defeating the Rainbow team. Six was dead, and they had been trying to find a replacement. A younger man was in consideration for the role of Six, another African American with immense knowledge of the government officials and strategies. 

Glaz checked in on Smoke. He was still in critical condition. He lay motionless with a steady but low heart rate of 40. He walked around the base for a few minutes until Fuze saw him and led him back to his room to rest. Fuze's area of the room he shared with the rest of his Russian friends was rather large. He lay his friend on his own bed and put on Glaz's favorite show. He didn't understand the moral themes his show, The Good Place had, but sat with him as he watched it. He looked at Glaz's area and moved to arrange everything. There was underwear everywhere, with shirts on the bed with blood stains on the pillows. "Why do you like this show so much? We got many nice shows from back home, so why bother with this one?" he asked. Glaz gave him a death stare. He took a pillow and beat his ally with it. He lay and watched the t.v. in peace. 

"This show discusses ethical issues that we could possibly use in our interrogations. I mean, The Trolley Problem. Should we kill a HVT to save 5 men or attempt to save the HVT and risk killing the rest?" he asked his grenade-loving comrade. Monika entered the room and saw Glaz in bed. 

"Another pointless day eh honey?" He just nodded. Their relationship was nowhere near damaged by his injury, and Glaz was still as good in bed as he ever was. They locked eyes and Fuze almost threw up at the sight of the two lovebirds. God forbid that Monika would dump him over an injury. Their relationship started when he saved her from falling debris in the middle of an operation, and it wasn't gonna end when he would be hit by flying shrapnel. Parties were thrown in honor of the defeat of the Masks, but Glax just stayed in his room with Monika, watching shows and movies all night. They slept together for the third time that night. The team knew that the masks were close to death, but they had to take a break before more would get injured. The Angel of Death had never been within such close proximity before, but it seemed that it was hurting Timur by keeping him alive. The pain of taking the hearing aid of was not unbearable but noticably caused discomfort to him. He still appreciated everything because he pitied his colleague. 

The poisoned violet bullet had affected Smoke much more than everyone expected. His bodily systems shut down every month at least twice and would leave him closer to death than all of his previous missions. The violet color was undoubtedly the root of the poison, but they had been unable to remove it without the violet dissolving into nothing. Glaz took out his phone and checked a photo of the bullet. He had been attempting to find anything that could help Smoke but nothing was working. Doc was the medical specialist but he was already working his hardest for nothing for the past 5 months. None of the Masks survived the attack and they were right to kill them all. They found trackers in their blood. Masks didn't matter to them, since they were ghosts. None of them were recognized by their system. Blood types were the only things they could determine. 

Glaz paused his show and got up to look outside. The clouds were grey and the moon shone brightly, leading into the room and providing Glaz with an actually decent sight other than his shows and his girlfriend. The orange in the sky gave the darkness a brightness. He opened the window and felt the cold night breeze brush against his warm skin and allow itself into his home. He felt the warm embrace of Monika on him. "Smoke will be alright Timur, you have nothing yo worry about. You have me. Am I not good enough for you?" she lovingly told him. He smirked but then lost it once he realized what he felt. He felt Monika's skin on him. He turned around and saw her clothes on the bed and a missing Fuze. His comrade must have known what was up so he left. She pulled his shirt off but he gently shoved her aside. He sat on his bed and she followed him onto it. She grasped his hand so tight as if it was the last time she would get to hold it. 

"Talk to me darling," she said. She rest her head on his shoulder, waiting for a response. While it was true their relationship hasn't deteriorated, Glaz's emotional and mental state has. He was going mad, unable to do anything. Rainbow's latest missions have been minor hostage situations, but he hadn't been involved in anything within the past 6 months save for planning. 

"I feel useless Monika," he finally spoke. He lay on the bed with his legs hanging while Monika embraced him. Timur captivated her from the moment they met, with his silence and passion for all forms of art. Now, it was merely his silence that intrigued her. He hadn't been this silent in their relationship. Maybe, she thought, she was the problem. She had been loving him, yet that may be the problem. He knew what was on her mind. "You aren't doing anything wrong Monika, don't worry. Your love is my life. Please, stay with me dear, I need you with me," he told her as he grasped her hand. This reassured her that she had to stay for him. She remembered how hard the first few months were. He was nearly inconsolable and yet she was the only one who could get to him. He found comfort in her and confided his fears in her. Her heart was with him, and his voice was heard by her. 

He kissed her and they fell back onto the bed and tore off his clothes. They kissed and made love to each other for the rest of the night, their worries forgotten, their bodies together and their love uncompromised. 

Smoke was unconscious for 6 months. Zofia had been the first to consider pulling the plug with Nøkk joining her soon after. Smoke was in pain, and they knew it. If he woke up it would be worse. He would feel everything. They analyzed the medical results and saw an extreme weakness in his body, rendering him easily targeted by illness. Zofia fell into a coma despite her sister's best efforts to rescue her from falling debris. Ela was broken and once she woke up, they reconciled. Two days after she awakened, she fell extremely ill, unable to fight sicknesses due to her injuries. She required a 3-week recuperation program and therapy. She felt the pain and she knew death. And she knew death was easier than pain. Doc and Ash had been against it however. They argued that Smoke would not want to die. They observed how he was, and despite his outgoing exterior, he was afraid of death. He was also afraid of pain. But his fear of the lack of a heartbeat in his body scared him more than any pain. They saw how long he lasted and signs of a possible awakening. He was fighting hard for his life, and they saw victory in his fight. 

It had been fifteen weeks since he last coughed up blood when he was unconscious. Ash swears she saw him open four days ago, even if it was for a split second. He hasn't opened his eyes since. Deep inside his mind, he was alive. They just had to find a way to wake him up before more people agreed to pull the plug. 

They called for a meeting. 

"Everyone present? We're leaving Timur and Monika to their own devices. They need some time," Ash spoke. The entire Rainbow team had gathered in the cafeteria to determine whether to keep waiting for Smoke or not. 

45 were in attendance. They waited for a date that wouldn't have any terrorist attacks. They had to choose between letting Smoke live in pain or die in peace. Rainbow was leaning in one direction, but Nøkk and Zofia had experience on their side while Ash and Doc had hope, proof and knowledge. Both were valid. It was just a matter of which one was more important to each person. They left Smoke alone in the medical room designed specifically for him after the hospitals couldn't contain him. They deemed him to be not only too big a risk and potentially contagious, but they didn't have the facilities to be able to give him proper treatment. Ash, of course, cared for her friend and gave each hospital that denied him a big middle finger. 

"I think I should speak first," Zofia said. Everyone agreed. They had to see whether or not it was right to pull the plug and Zofia seemed sure of herself while Ash and Doc were nervous. 

"Smoke is in great pain. As are we. He is on life support right now, and we don't know when or if he'll ever wake up. I've seen multiple medical reports on his condition, and he may be improving, but when he wakes he'll want to go back to sleep. I know some of his pain. He's going through what no one should. The poison is torturing him on a daily basis. I say we should euthanize him before he does it himself. It will save us the pain of seeing him in a weak state. And it will spare him the pain of seeing us worrying for him constantly. Death isn't what we wanted. It's what he needs. We may not move on, but he can. Thank you."

She sat back down after giving her argument, and was met by Ash's glare that showed true anger. Ash stood up and forgot all about her speech. She saw red. She hated Zofia. 

"God you're such a bitch Zofia. He's our friend, and you're willing to let him go?" she shouted at the Polish. She walked over to her and had to be restrained by Doc before she could hit her, and didn't notice Zofia unlocking the latch for her hidden knife. "You can't even say his FUCKING NAME when you're talking about ending HIS FUCKING LIFE! His name is James Porter and he is one of us. I get where you're coming from but I wanna beat the fuck outta you for it. I saw how afraid he was of death. He's more afraid of it than anyone I fucking know while you wanna push him to it! He'll have peace, but what about regrets? Think about that Zo-"

She stopped mid-sentence. She and Doc looked at each other and ran out. They had planted a device in the room that would alert them if James opened his eyes or would let them hear his voice if he spoke. 

"Anyone get me out of this fucking bed?"


	4. Alarmed, Awake and Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James awakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me so long to finish this omg haha. Thanks to CrypticWonder for helping me out (you sexy beast) with this. Thanks for all the love and support! Catch y'all in the final part of the series! Enjoy!

Hard of Hearing  
Part IV  
Alarmed, Awake and Awkward Encounters

Rushing down the halls, Eliza had running a thousand scenarios through her mind, her thoughts moving as quickly as her feet as forty-five operators sprinted down from the mess hall to the medical wing. This all had to be some kind of sick joke, or a malfunction, right?   
Right?  
Six months, spent waiting at his bedside, hoping that death wouldn’t claim him yet, hoping, even if it was a slight chance, that he would wake up. While many had worried for her own self-care, she had lashed out at most anyone that tried to pry her away from his room. All this, and he finally wakes up? Only when they begin to consider pulling the plug? It seemed almost to good to be true, but alas, the truth can be terrifying at times. Finally skidding to a halt outside his door, Ash nearly shook the door off its hinges with the force she opened it with. Lo and behold, there was Porter, shakily attempting to clamber out of the cot. They were only shaken out of their stupor when he had stumbled out of the cot, and onto the cold, hard, marble floor. In a near instant, Eliza and Tze Long had rushed past everyone, lifting the smaller man back onto the cot. 

“Blood hell, what is this– am I wearing a hospital gown?” In a clumsy attempt to get himself out of the gown, he had managed to tangle some of the knots on the backside, only serving to further trap himself within its loose folds. “. . . Do you remember anything?” Ash had asked, her voice unnaturally soft.  
Finally ceasing his futile attempts, Smoke looked up, confusion clear in his slate grey eyes. “Wh– what do ya mean? Bloody hell, all I remember is the street mission, and then. . . and then I was in this dark haze, drifting about for a while. . . Wait, what’s today? I haven’t been out for that fucking long, right?” He lets out a small, nervous chuckle.

Silence. 

None of the operators dared break the silence, lest they be the ones to scare the recently awaken man shitless. Eventually, Eliza took it into her own hands, explaining to the Brit that he had been out for half a year, thanks to the debilitating effects of him being exposed to the poisonous gas. She patiently explained that while his whole team had survived, Glaz had suffered from loss of hearing, needing hearing aids to get through day-to-day life, and how he had been in a coma for six months, vitals steadily fluctuating once or twice every month, plunging him closer and closer into the Angel of Death’s dark embrace. By the time she had finished, many of the operators had found it in Porter’s best interest if they were to leave, give him space until he felt more comfortable with so many scrutinizing eyes on him. The only ones left were Eliza, the Brits (save Clash), and Tze Long, all close friends and sometimes partners in crime.

And for the first time in years, James Porter had no witty comeback, no snappy remark to reply with. He merely sat there, and so did the others. The only sounds coming from the room was the consistent thrumming of the ventilation system, and his heart rate monitor. “So you’re saying, is that after I got shot, the rest of you guys came in, saved us, but I was in a coma, and Glaz was deaf?” Lips pressed in a thin line, Cohen nodded. “If you really water it down, yeah. Look, I’m sure you’d like some alone time, so I’ll take my leave now. If you need anything, just page me, alright?” A stiff nod from James, and farewells from everyone else.For a man who had been in coma for half a year, Porter had recovered control of himself relatively quickly, although his limbs still acted on their own accord every now and then. Now, another six months after his awakening, James was fully capable of walking around without aid, even if Doc still insisted that he stay in the medical wing, lest he falls back in relapse while he was across base. 

Unfortunately, this also meant that he had to stay in his gown most times, unless he was roaming about, usually for rehabilitation purposes. Surprisingly enough, throughout his healing process, Eliza had stuck with him, helping him through the pain, staying with him through thick and thin, even if he sometimes cursed her name out of misplaced frustration.   
On one particular morning, Eliza had knocked on his door, as she always did. Normally she would have gotten a “coming!”, or something similar, notifying her that he was on his way. To her horror, the only noise she heard from the other side was a pained grunt. Eliza bust into the room expecting him to be on the ground, bleeding or whatever. She saw him with absolutely nothing on.

"Fucking hell Eliza don't just barge in every time you hear a grunt!" he shouted at her. She yelped and covered her eyes as he did his best to cover himself up. The one time he was nude he was walked in on by Eliza. "Can't just walk the fuck in when I'm changing my clothes!" She immediately started to rapidly apologize as Tze Long and Jordan walked in just as they heard the yelp.

"Get the fuck out Jordan, Tze Long, before I bust a cap in your damn asses!" he shouted at them. Long immediately left but Jordan stayed a bit to mock James in his nude state. Eliza pushed him out and locked the door behind them as he heard Jordan laughing his ass off. She faced the door as she kept covering her eyes as he rummaged through his clothes drawer. Once he finished changing, he approached her from behind and let out a sigh of relief. While she didn't mind the view, she had to stop it from getting more awkward.

"The fuck you want Eliza?" he asked as he leaned against the bed. It took her a few seconds before she responded. "We got a new Six," she told him. His eyes widened and he ran out of the room with her and made her lead him to Six. He almost tripped multiple times but Eliza caught him on most of those occasions. They made their way to the cafeteria and saw Six standing on a table with the entirety of Rainbow surrounding him. Everyone was gathered for the first time since the meeting about Smoke. They all stared at him as he was being carried. He sat down with Eliza and they waited for their new leader to speak. 

"As you all know, Six is gone. We're what's left of Rainbow. We lost a lot a year ago, including Six. But I'm here now and I will make sure that none of you are hurt as bad as Mr. Porter here was." He proceeded to walk towards James and asked him on his condition. "I'm doing fine sir. Eliza has been helping me a lot with therapy and just a few minutes ago she walked in on me to help me change," he joked, eliciting laughter fron everyone, including the new Six. The old Six was a rough woman, reminiscent of a stern, but loving and caring mother. She didn't reveal much about her private life up until her funeral video. Sixes weren't usually public, outgoing people. This one seemed to be a change of pace for the team. He was rather friendly. He still had a lot to prove as Rainbow's new leader. They still didn't know his true capabilities, but they trusted him faster than any other Six beforehand. If he was able to get there at such a young age, then he was a worthy leader. A few started murmuring however, questioning his supposed lack of experience due to his age, but they were silenced once he took to the top of a table once more and rang a glass and spoke. 

"I know Six didn't share much about herself. Let me change that. Call me Harry. Call me Six and you'll be suspended from active duty," he joked. To his surprise, the operators laughed at his joke. According to Six, or Arietta as he knew her, Rainbow was filled with serious, dedicated and deadly operators. She was right about the latter two. Arietta may have been respected and feared, but she wasn't loved. He had a full year-long plan in mind to get to know each of them better, and even thought of joining them on a mission. There was a reason he graduated top of his class at Bartlett University while taking Psychology at 16 years old. Still in his early 30s, he was the youngest Six to handle Rainbow team after consistently impressing his superiors with his tactics and strategies. He's been on the field before and used to be one of the Marines' best soldiers. The interrogation methods he'd use would sometimes cause a bit of controversy much like the famed Caveira he now had the opportunity to monitor and observe. He was eager to see Rainbow in action. He just hoped that Smoke and Glaz would heal from their injuries fast enough. Smoke was headed for a long but hard recovery and planned to send him in a few weeks after he would be certified as ready for combat. Glaz on the other hand was a slight issue. The only way he would allow him back is if they find or develop a small enough hearing aid that he can go back to normal.

"Mr. Porter and Mr. Glazkov I'll be making sure that you two are not only well rested but also fully healed from your injuries before I send you two back out into the field," he told them. They promptly told him to call them by their first names. He ordered Emmanuelle and Doc to create a device to help Timur hear without causing discomfort to him. He dismissed the team and lead Rainbow for about three weeks before something important needed him to remain in his office. Mac came in. 

"Good day Rainbow team. Currently, Harry is with NATO so for now we're stuck with each other. I'm Mac and while that pussy is getting his hands wet with NATO, I don't know how long I'm gonna be stuck with you. I will see to it that every single one if you see action in the next few months," he announced. This caused murmurs across the room as Smoke was still recovering from his wounds. 

"Pardon me sir, Eliza Cohen, or Ash. I don't know if you've heard but two of our operatives, namely, Glazkov and Porter, are still recovering from some injuries sustained a year ago, so I wouldn't say that it is in their best interest to get back in the field without fully healing," she said. He grunted and began to curse. "Did I stutter Cohen? EVERYONE will have to see action. One year has got to be more than enough for those lazy sons of bitches," he shouted at her. He dismissed the team and she immediately ran up to Mac. 

"Sir, Mr. Glazkov and James haven't fully recovered yet so bringing them back out into the field would not only risk their lives but the ones of our team," she argued. He stared at her and repeated what he had just said. As he walked away, she gave him a middle finger. She found Gustave and urged him to help her convince Mac otherwise but he agreed with their temporary superior officer. He attempted to convince her that despite their weak states, they were cleared to go into missions before getting a slap in the face. She was desperate to stop Timur and James from going back out into the field. The two most important people in keeping him out were the ones who wanted him back in. She gathered Rainbow for another meeting. She knew the team would be divided on whether or not to bring them back into action. Zofia came up to her to discuss the matter. "Another meeting Eliza? Ok then. This time I agree with you so you better not fuck this up and they're back in the field getting others and themselves killed," the Polish told her. They still hadn't reconciled after their last encounter. They both spoke. 

"James and Timur were injured 1 year ago. And James only woke up half a year ago. His therapy's been doing well thanks to me," Eliza began. "But that doesn't mean they are in good condition. Glaz is partially deaf and Smoke collapses every now and then. They aren't just wounded, but they're possible liabilities in missions," Zofia continued. They went on talking about how much more recuperation and healing the two needed before they could be permitted back into action. Neither of them noticed Mac in the back of the room. Before Doc could stand up and speak, Mac made his presence known. 

"Nice to know what you feel about your friends. Now before we can continue, show of hands who here wants to send them out?" he asked. Thatcher, Doc, Rook, all of the FBI SWAT save for Eliza, Bandit, Blitz, almost all of Spetsnaz save for Glaz, Frost, Mira, Finka, Maestro, Kaid, Mozzie and Gridlock all raised their hand. He asked again the same question for those who wanted him to stay. Everyone else raised their hands save for Nokk, Vigil, and Echo who ignored the question and observed the results. It wasn't enough votes to let him go and Mac knew that. He attempted to overrule the vote and have Smoke and Glaz go back into action. This caused an outcry, eliciting anger even from those who opted to send them out. 

"I am your superior officer and I control what happens in this base, so you listen to me or I'll suspend you lot without pay," he told them. The team listened to him, although a few like Dokkaebi and Echo were busy on their gadgets, presumably playing. Monika, Nokk and Caveira were the only ones who objected. 

"Sir, we don't give a damn if you're our superior officer! We will not allow the lives of our friends to be endangered!" Monika shouted at him. Nokk backed her up, stating that despite her being new to the team, she understood how much each operator cared for one another. Taina joined in, stating that if they were to be captured due to their injuries, it would pose a risk and possibly lead to confidential information getting into the hands of the Masks. Mac proceeded to suspend the four. Just then, Harry rushed into the room. 

"The fuck are you doing here Harry? NATO called you in!" Mac said. "I ran all the way here from the office after I got Masaru's call. Get the fuck out of here before I drag you myself," Harry responded. When Mac stood still, he was greeted by a painful punch in the face. He ended up being carried out by the guards. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here you guys. I promise you that no one else will treat you like that." He dismissed Rainbow and Ash went over to thank him. He asked her if she was okay, to which she responded with a small nod. He sent her back to her quarters as he went to his office. On her way back, James greeted her. 

"Hey, thanks for helping me back there Eliza. Thanks for everything you've done for me. I mean it," he told her. 

"Oh, uhmm, no problem James," she answered. They chatted for a bit about how much Mac and Harry were different. Before she entered her quarters, he stopped her. 

"So, are you free on Friday?" 

She was baffled by the question. Was he asking her out? She was flattered, and she had prepared for that question so much. 

"We'll have to see Porter. If it helps with your therapy, then definitely maybe." They smiled and he went off. 

Once Harry had returned to his office, his secretary was waiting for him. 

"Sir, they found the White Mask's main base."


End file.
